Generalized Anxiety

What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by large amounts of uncontrollable worry. The anxiety experienced here extends to a number of events or activities and is not associated with any one object or situation. The child or adolescent with generalized anxiety disorder is frequently described as a "worrier" or "worry wart". This anxiety and worry is associated with restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and/or sleep disturbances.

John is a 10-year-old fifth grader who always seems to be worrying. He constantly worries about such things as his grades, being good enough at baseball, his appearance, arriving on time to classes and activities, and the health of his mother and father. John worries about these things almost everyday and has been worrying like this for almost a year now. When he worries he often feels restless, becomes tired and irritated easily, has trouble concentrating, and has difficulty falling asleep. In fact, John worries so much that he just cannot seem to have fun or concentrate on his school work anymore. For example, while planning his 10th birthday, John worried for two weeks about whether his friends would come, whether it would rain, whether there would be enough food, whether everyone would have fun, etc.

Information on Evidence-based Mental Health Treatment for Children and Adolescents has been provided by a partnership between the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology